Remember all those plans you made back in the day, where you were going to beat the system, stick it to the man and do what makes you happy? Well meet the guys who actually had the nerve to do it.
Bustin Boards has come a long way from the back country roads of Hagerstown, Maryland, where this concept first took root. With a keen interest in the longboard skateboarding scene, founder Ryan Daughtridge carried the idea with him through college and all the way to the streets of Hoboken.
The genesis of the company stems from, of all things, a skating injury. "We were messing around with this old longboard decided to make a few of our own," says Daughtridge. While tearing it up in the streets at home, "one of us busted our lip and we came up with Bustin Boards. I just couldn't let it go--I kept drawing the logo over and over."
The concept had staying power and soon began to bear some fruit. "I made some in college, sold them on eBay and made some money," he says. After college, upon returning to Maryland he kept at it for about six months. "We did some things but we didn't have any capital or equipment so it just sort of fizzled out." That bitter reality facing any grad soon set in. "I was like 'alright, I gotta get a real job--I've got college loans to pay,'" says Daughtridge. His girlfriend was living in the Metro area and he thought it might be a good idea to join the rat race. "I worked this job on Wall Street for a year and basically said I can't do this anymore, I gotta make skateboards."
The daunting task of making the dream a reality was not lost on Daughtridge. "It was pretty crazy but I'm really stubborn," he admits. "I raised a little capital, moved to Hoboken and found this place."
The place he found was an old factory in midtown Hoboken. While it may not be the prettiest on the outside, the location is any post-graduate's dream home--right down to the indoor basketball hoop. The space is unrestricting, giving Daughtridge and his crew the room to not only conceptualize but work on board designs.
"This is a really good place to think," says Mike Dallas. "I've been longboarding since 1999, it's always been a passion of mine. I've always followed the longboard road and along came Bustin." According to Dallas, "Longboarding around the city is all about speed. The short board skateboard--the popsicle stick--was built to be the smallest, sleekest, shape for tricks. This came about in the early 1970's, but before that it was longboards in all sorts of different shapes, which is where the sport is returning to now because of the limits that short boarding has put on skateboarding. Bustin is trying to be at the forefront of that and develop shapes that are better in the street, better for speed, better for commuting--it's almost an upgrade for the sport as a whole if you take away the tricks. We don't spend a lot of time in the Skate parks, we spend a lot of time in the streets."
Nick Faust came to town for his higher education, and soon became enlightened to the way of the longboard. "I came to Hoboken as a freshman at Stevens for Engineering, I had always dabbled with skateboarding but I knew after I moved here that I wanted to get a longboard to get around town." He admits, "I actually ended up going to the Quiksilver store in Soho and bought a Sector 9. A week later I saw a flyer for Bustin hanging up in Stevens and found their site, found out they were right up the street from me. I convinced one of my buddies that he needed a longboard and sold him my Sector 9 to buy my Bustin." The maneuver certainly paid off in the long run. "I mentioned in passing that if you need part time help let me know. A few months later I got an email and I was able to do this part time."
Daughtridge still needed all the help he could get. "I took another job doing web design, worked that full time and did this part time for a couple years." That's where the reality of the business really came to the forefront. "One of my cousins was up here helping me out at one point. It was hectic for a really long time. I'd go to work until 6 and skate back here as soon as I could, try to reach the UPS guy, then work on the next board." And he wasn't the only one put out by the venture. "I'd get a text during class saying hey man skate down and sign for this package," says Faust. "I was like, 'you've gotta wait.' For awhile it was a difficult balance." Luckily for everyone, it got to a point where I Daughtridge could leave his job and focus on the dream full time.
The longboard scene was on an upswing, and Bustin was growing with it. Says Dallas, "When I moved here I really wanted to know what the scene was like and really started to see all sorts of advertising for Bustin on all the social sites. So I just started hanging out more and more and these guys were really awesome. I had other things going on, but before you know it Ryan said we're growing a little bit and could use a little help around the shop, which is exactly what I was looking to do. So I came in and I've been assembling boards ever since."
The main lure of longboarding is the utilitarian aspect. "In the Metro area we've created a new style of urban riding, opposed to the west coast which is more about the scene," says Daughtridge. "Our boards are more maneuverable. It transports you like a bike but you can pick it up and carry it with you wherever you're going." He adds, "It's the science of skating-- the wheel base is wider, the board and truck are lower to the ground. Benefits are stability and it's easier on your pushing leg because you don’t have to get down as low--there's a lot less fatigue." Says Dallas, "It's about the push culture--a whole mainstream sport based on pushing and the ease of that, as opposed to going slow and not moving far. Many riders prefer different shapes which is why we will continue to provide many shapes for riders to choose."
"Each shape has its advantages," explains Faust, "like you'd get a sports car for one thing and an SUV for another. Lower [to the ground] is a little more stable at higher speeds."
As for longboarding around our town, the guys at Bustin say the best design for Hoboken is their Strike board. It rides low, has a little flex to iron out the road and larger wheels roll over any debris that may pop up on the surface.
"We also have the Sojourn," says Dallas. "It's a new secret formula we will be releasing to the streets that looks like the strike but it's a little shorter, a hybrid that can be utilized as a shortboard but has the advantages and features of a longboard." When asked if Faust's Stevens background comes into play, Dallas says, "It's crazy what a little engineering can do for us--it gives us a strong advantage."
As for their base of operations, Bustin seems to enjoy the benefits of the Mile Square. While the boards are now assembled en masse at a location in North Carolina, the conceptualization and design all take place in the Hoboken facility."Hoboken has been really good to us," says Daughtridge. "It's nice to have a small town feel outside of New York and it's really conducive to longboarding." Meanwhile, the guys enjoy a dorm-like atmosphere where the comforts of home meet the imagination of extended college life. Keeping everyone in check is their resident drill sergeant, Matt Colvin, who maintained his influence in Bustin Boards even while serving with the Air Force in Afghanistan.
Says Dallas, "Hoboken is a little off the beaten path, it attracts a certain demographic yet still holds true to the demographic that is the city. It's really allowed a lot of growth for the business and the sport in general."
Faust notices, "everyday you see more people skating with backpack or briefcases. You're never too old to pick this up. It's generally people who were short boarding when they were growing up, fell out of it, and now want to get back into skating but want something else out of it."
"It's not just skater punks and hipsters," says Daughtridge. "You'll see guys in suits."
Of course it's one thing for the boys to hop out of their BMW's and onto the boards, but what about the Bugaboos? With a new wave of Hobokenites coming out of their strollers, Bustin is looking to put them back on wheels as soon as possible.
"With protective gear I wouldn't put any constraints on age," says Dallas. "It's all of two inches off the ground--he'll take the same spill he'd take running across the road." "Yeah, it's better to teach them earlier than later," says Daughtridge.
Bustin's reach goes well beyond Hoboken, the Metro area, or even the East Coast. "Name a country," says Faust, "and we've probably shipped boards there." Yet Bustin Boards' advertising budget is zero. All of its business is done through the website and marketing primarily stems from word of mouth. Boards are built to the specific specifications of the customer, and if it's their design then they're more likely to be happy with it.
Bustin Boards shatters the stereotype of the slacker skate rat who you love to watch on YouTube as he cracks his crotch off a railing. These guys are driven, hardworking businessmen who believe in what they're doing and will stop at nothing to see it through. Speeding along the rocky roads of Hoboken has done plenty to prepare them for the cluttered paths of the business world, and as their small business gets bigger, they show no signs of faltering.
For more information and to build your own board, log onto www.bustinboards.com.
